Car-coupling



(No Model.)

J. D. HALL. OAR COUPLING. No. 458,900. Patented Sept; 1., 1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

JOEL DAVIS HALL, OF STEPHENS, ARKANSAS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 458,900, datedSeptember 1, 1891.

Application filed April 24, 1891. Serial No. 390,304. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOEL DAVIS HALL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Stephens, in the county of Ouachita and State of Arkansas,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplers; andIdo hereby declare the following to be a full, clear and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and usefulimprovements incar-couplers, by means of which the cars provided with my invention willautomatically couple themselves together and can be readily uncoupledfrom either side or the top without going between them, and theinvention will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of theend of a car provided with my invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective endview of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal Vertical sectional view takenfrom the center of the coupling.

The same numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

Referring to the several parts by their designating-numerals, 1indicates the end of the car, which is shown provided With my coupler.Beneath the end of this car is bolted a U-shaped bracket 2, in whichloosely fits and is movably supported a hollow U-shaped casing 3. Thiscasing is secured to the forward ends of two bumper-rods 4i, whichextend through horizontal. openings in the end crossbeam 5 and have nuts6 secured upon their threaded rear ends. Upon the rods 4, between theframe 3 and the cross-beam 5, are mounted heavy spiral springs 7, whichnormally press the casings 3 outward.

8 indicates the coupling-hook, which is pivoted at its rear end in abearing 9 and is formed at its outer end with the arrow-head S. Theouter free end of the hook is pressed downward by a spring 10.

In Fig. 3 of the drawings 1 have shown both a spiral spring and a curvedspring in position, either of which may be employed, as may be desired,as both will be eifective.

It will now be seen that when two cars provided with my coupler cometogether the pointed end of one pivoted hook will ride over the pointedend of the hook on the other car until their shouldered outer endsengage or look one into the other, thus automatically coupling the carstogether. The spring 10 will yield to permit either pivoted hook torise, and will at once press it down again into engagement with the hookon the other car. As the cars come together, the bumper-springs -6o 7will give and permit the casings 3 of the two cars to slide backward,thus preventing any abrupt jar or shock.

Ateach end of the car is mounted in bearings 12 a shaft 11, which isformed at each end with a crank-handle for convenience in turning it,these handles projecting at the sides of the car. To the center of theshaft 11 is secured a short chain 13, the lower end of which isconnected to the pivoted coup- 7o ling-hook at that end of the car. Itwill now be seen that in order to uncouple two cars provided with myinvention it is only necessary to turn the end handle of the shaft,which is connected to the upper couplinghook, thus turning the chain 13around the shaft and raising the free end of the pivoted hook againstthe pressure of its spring 10 until it is clear of the hook on the othercar, when the cars can move freely apart, the 8c coupling being thenopen. On releasing the handle of the shaft 11 the spring 10 presses thecoupling-hook down into its normal position.

To hold the pivoted coupling-hook so that the cars will not coupletogether, which is desirable at times when the cars are on a siding andat other times, I secure the short chains 14 to the sides of the car atthe upper ends of the same, each of these chains having at its lower enda ring 15, and when the end cranked handles of the shaft 11 are raisedone of the rings 15 can be caught over one of the said handles, thusholding the pivoted locking-hook in its raised. position until thatparticular chain is freed from the end of the shaft 11. The cars canalso be coupled from the top through a chain 16, which runs fromthecoupling-hook up to a shaft 17, which is transversely mounted nearthe top of the car roe under the end of the track-board, each end ofthis shaft being formed or provided with a handle-lever 18. To uncouplethe cars from the top, it is only necessary to draw back one of thehandle-levers 18, pressing its cranked end downward, when the upperpivoted coupling-hook will be raised until it is clear of the hook onthe other car, and when the cranked end of the handle-lever is thuspressed down an iron turn-button 19 can be turned over it, and thus holdthe pivoted coupling-hook in its raised position and prevent the carsfrom coupling together until this turn-button is turned around the freeend of the handlelever. J

To enable a car provided with my coupler to be coupled to a car providedwith the ordinary draw-head for the common link-andpin coupling, Iemploy the peculiarlyconstructed link 20, which has an arrow-head at oneend to adapt it to engage with the pivoted hook S, and has its other endformed with an opening 21, through which the common pin of an ordinarylink-and'pin coupling can pass.

When a car provided with my coupling is to be coupled with anotherhaving the common link-and-pin coupling, the hook 20 is engaged with thecoupling hook 8, with the straight end of the hook 20 projecting outfrom the car, and when the two cars come together this straight end willenter the draw-head of the other car,when the coupling-pin is droppedthrough it.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction, operation, and advantages of myinvention will be readily understood.

It will be seen that my new and improved car-coupler is very simple,strong, and durable in its construction, being devoid of all complicatedparts and mechanism, and that it is extremely convenient and effectivein its operation. The U-shaped casings 3 protect the outer end of thecoupling-hooks from injury or breakage. The pivoted spring-actuatedhooks can be raised by means of theshatts 11 to couple at any height.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In a car-coupler, the combination of the spring-actuatedcoupling-hooks pivoted at their inner ends and formed at their outerends with the arrow-heads, and the sliding springactuated U-shapedprotecting-casings 3, extending around the coupling-hooks, substantiallyas set forth.

2. In a car-coupler, the combination of the coupling-hooks 8, pivoted attheir inner ends and formed at their outer ends with the arrow-heads,the springs 10, arranged as speci tied, the U-shaped protecting-casings3, extending around the outer ends of the coupling-hooks, the slidingrods ehsecured at their outer ends to the casings 3, and thebumpersprings 7, encircling said rods, substantially as set forth.

3. In acar-coupling, the combination of the U-shaped bracket 2, thepivoted couplinghook 8, formed with the arrow-head at its outer end, thespring arranged as specified, the shaft 11, having the end handles, thechain 9, connecting said shaft with the pivoted coupling-hook, theU-shaped casing 3, the sliding rods 41:, secured attheir outer ends tothe easing 3, and the bumper-springs 7, encircling said rods,substantially as set forth.

1. In a car-coupler, the combination, with the pivoted spring-actuatedcoupling-hook, of the shaft 17, mounted transverselyin bearings at theupper, ends of the car end and provided with the end levers 18, havingthe cranked free ends, the chain 16, connecting said shaft with thepivot-ed coupling-hook, and the iron turnbutton 19,pivoted to the top ofthe car to en-

